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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a defunct facility, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their destiny often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the people who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to put them down unless the government pays for the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and social skills point to they are highly cognitive creatures – something Kristy Burgess discovered directly.

She spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a role that entailed gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so amazed by the details and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with contrasting personalities.

“One whale chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales evolved against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but in the past asserted: “The whales … receive far higher quality medical attention and around the clock supervision than any individual in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected particulars of the incident were leaked to the media and she was fired soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to put down even a one beluga would require “significant manpower”, vehicles and machinery.

“It cannot happen in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

She backs demands for the whales to be transferred promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a proposal to transfer the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued situation in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that marine mammals are meant for the ocean, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience approve an transfer that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reveal a broader lack of awareness of the realities of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a answer, ideas have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has been highly debated. The future location, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a permanent solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a protected habitat represents a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable plan in the near future.

The project lead, director of the sanctuary project, said the site will mimic the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|